America’s 50 Coldest Cities

Americans across the Northwest and Midwest are enduring potentially record-breaking extreme temperatures as a cold front moves across the country. A number of cities are expected to record double-digit, below-zero temperatures.

On Sunday, temperatures of -40°F, with -60°F wind chills, were recorded in some parts of Montana. The following day, Chicago’s O’Hare Airport had the lowest recorded March temperature there since 2002.

Every winter seems a little different from the one before, and nothing is as notoriously unpredictable as the weather. The expectation of a harsh winter is part of life in many parts of the country. And in certain sections of the Northern United States, average temperatures during winter would make anyone cringe.

Using daily temperatures tracked over a 30-year period, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) defines the normal high and low temperatures for every month for over 250 cities.

To identify America’s 50 coldest cities, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the minimum average temperature for the coldest month from 1981 to 2010 for every city with at least 10,000 residents.